Mountain rolls into Ridgefield

News-Times, The (Danbury, CT)

Published 7:00 pm, Thursday, January 13, 2005

Still, West is clearly the most famous member of his family. As the lead singer and guitarist for the hard rock band Mountain, he's the voice behind the timeless hit "Mississippi Queen" and such fan favorites as "Nantucket Sleighride" and "Never In My Life."

With a penchant for telling stories that span his more than 35-year career, West will join longtime Mountain drummer Corky Laing and bassist Richie Scarlet when the band plays Saturday at the Ridgefield Playhouse.

In addition to playing Mountain originals, the guys will cover three or four Cream songs to honor the band that influenced them perhaps more than any other, West said in a Jan. 4 interview from his hometown of Englewood, N.J.

"They were my favorite band and they're getting back together, so we're doing a tribute to them," West said. "When they first came out, you'd hear these guys playing the living daylights out of their instruments and I couldn't tell which was the voice and which was the guitar. They were doing stuff that I said, 'Boy, this is like Hendrix.' It was in this different area and it just appealed to me."

Mountain also will perform Bob Dylan covers from their forthcoming album, "Mountain: Electrified Dylan." The band's most recent album, "Eruption," featured live tracks from a 1985 concert in New York and a 2003 show in Belgium.

"I always liked (Dylan) and I figured we needed something a little different than just another Mountain album," West said. "I thought rather than write all new songs, because it's hard to get classic rock on the radio, I'd pick some really great Dylan songs. I'm shocked at how good it came out. They were all heavy. We did 'Gotta Serve Somebody,' 'Subterranean Homesick Blues' and 'Blowin' In The Wind,' but they don't sound like the way he wrote them."

Born Leslie Weinstein on Oct. 22, 1945, West grew up in Forest Hills, Long Island, N.Y. Mother Rita was a hair model, while father Bill was vice president of Glamorene Rug Shampoo.

West's mother bought him a ukulele when he was 8. Five years later, when he had his bar mitzvah, West got his first good guitar. He continued playing it in high school and beyond.

"I went to N.Y.U. - New York Unemployment," West said jokingly. "That's what I considered college. I quit school to play guitar."

With his brother Larry on bass, West formed the Vagrants, a club act that performed on Long Island from 1965-68.

"Johnny Ramone wanted to be our road manager because we lived across the street from each other," West recalled.

When the Vagrants reached a stalemate in the studio, West decided to move on. He kept in contact with producer Felix Pappalardi, who had produced for the Vagrants and Cream. The pair would collaborate on Mountain, which officially formed after West released a solo album - also called "Mountain" - in 1969.

In addition to West and Pappalardi, who played bass, the band included drummer N.D. Smart and keyboardist Steve Knight. The band's fourth show was at Woodstock.

"I knew it was freakin' big because I looked down out of the helicopter and I saw all those people," West said. "I said, 'Jesus Christ, right in the middle of the woods!' We had our own helicopter. I opened up the first aid kit and there was amyl nitrate in there - you know, what they give people to revive them when they faint? I sniffed it and I almost fell out of the helicopter. I looked down at that crowd and I said, 'Oh, my God!' "

After Corky Laing replaced Smart on drums, Mountain released two gold-selling albums: 1970's "Mountain Climbing!" and 1971's "Nantucket Sleighride." On tour, their openers included Black Sabbath.

To this day, West enjoys playing Mountain's biggest hit, "Mississippi Queen," because he changes it up regularly.

"Two months ago, I recorded 'Mississippi Queen' with Ozzy (Osbourne) for his new box set," West said. "He sang and I played guitar. It sounds like me playing with Black Sabbath. We sounded great. I think it might be on Ozzy's box set. The title at the time was 'Songs I Wish I Wrote.' It really came out great.

"In fact, we started (playing) it like that now - a little bit different than Mountain's version," he added. "I like his version better. Now, I play it like I played it with Ozzy. It's a little heavier and darker."

Mountain split up in 1972, but they reunited and released their "Avalanche" LP in '74. Despite the gold-selling "Best Of Mountain" album and various live releases, though, the band wouldn't make another studio album until 1985. On the "Go For Your Life" LP, Pappalardi - shot and killed by his wife, Gail Collins, on April 17, 1983 - was replaced by ex-Uriah Heep bassist Mark Clarke.

West, Laing and Clarke wouldn't release another album until "Man's World" in 1996. Since then, the band released just one more studio effort, 2002's "Mystic Fire."

While Mountain played shows on and off for 35 years, West kept active outside of the band. In the 1970s, he and Laing formed a group with ex-Cream bassist Jack Bruce. West also performed with the Leslie West Band. But he reportedly retired from music from 1976-85 due to substance abuse problems.

"I wish we lasted a little bit longer," West said of Mountain. "Drugs came in there and really ruined the band. And I'm sorry about that."

At the same time, the course of events gave West a chance to branch out. He made appearances on albums by Bo Diddley, Bachman-Turner Overdrive and Billy Joel. And he worked with a variety of artists that included Van Halen and The Who.

In 1986, West had a role in the film "The Money Pit," which starred Tom Hanks and Shelley Long. From there, he released at least eight solo albums and struck up friendships with radio shock jock Howard Stern and comedian Sam Kinison.

"Howard was talking about rock guitar players on the show and Joe Walsh was on and they were talking about Jewish rock stars," West said. "And Joe Walsh told him I was Jewish. I called up Howard and I became friends with him and he really did a lot for me. There's nobody better than him, man."

In 2004, Mountain was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame. West, who was married years ago, has a fiancee, Shay.

"If we weren't playing so good, David, I wouldn't be playing," West said. "I'd rather go play golf."

The show begins at 8 p.m., with Rick Derringer also on the bill. The venue is at 80 East Ridge. Tickets are $65 and $55. Call (203) 438-5795.